Dizzee Rascal - Maths + English
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Artist:
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Album:Maths + English
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Track:Wanna Be (Ft. Lily Allen)
Dizzee Rascal is back, although I am sure many people here in the states might not have even realized its been 3 years since his last release. Once dubbed as the next big thing, Dizzee seems to have flown under the radar for the last few years. When his first album dropped in 2004, he became the poster boy for the U.K.'s grime movement. People wanted more, yet got the same when he released "Showtime" later that year. Now here we are in 2007, and he is set to release his third album titled "Maths + English". A release that can only be found through digital means I might add, and it makes me wonder if this will hurt his sales stateside. I read that this album was to be his big cross over hit here in the states. Yet, I didn't hear anything that would cause me to think people in America would be rushing out to get this album. Not that this is a bad thing, fans of his first two albums are going to love what they hear. The big change I did notice was the subject matter of his songs. The anger and fire that helped this artist blaze through the competition is still prevalent yet it doesn't seem to be the focus of many of his songs. Instead he takes his shots at the fakes and phonies in the rap game and this is most prevalent in the track "Where's Da G's". The beats are what you have come to expect from a Dizzee Rascal album, yet they are polished to the point that they sometimes gives off a dance club vibe. I have always thought you would be more likely to hear a tune like "Flex" at a disco and not booming out of someones car as they drove by. Once again this is the style that has been Dizzee's bread and butter, and what sets apart British hip hop from the music we hear in the states. His flow is pretty straight forward as well, and shines when he gets philosophical about the police's role in the community on "Excuse Me Please", recounting the sickness and unease that came when robbing a couple on "Sirens", and seething with frustrated disappointment over the duplicity of an ex-friend on "Pussyole".My favorite track came near the end of the album when Lily Allen is added to the mix. He and Allen turn in an incredible performance with “Wanna Be”, a hilarious and incredibly catchy track where Ms. Allen asks, “What you know about being a hard man, your mom buys your bling?” With some of the harder subject matter found on the album, this one was a nice change of pace. Overall I liked the album a lot, then again I have been a fan since "Boy In Da Corner" was released. I don't think there was anything that new that would cause the American public to re-notice Dizzee, instead this album will most likely be snatched up by those familiar with his work already. The teacher in me gives this one a 6.5 out of 10. I wanted to give it a higher score, but after three years of waiting I was expecting better.
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